


Happy Ending

by FallenInDreams



Category: Naruto
Genre: AU, AU setting, Extreme AU, F/M, Family, Friendship, Humor, Humour, I have no idea what else to put in, It's complete now but I'll be posting the chapters once a day, Romance, just a little humour not too much, three-shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-28 13:43:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20426936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallenInDreams/pseuds/FallenInDreams
Summary: He'd been preparing for this day for years. She was finally going to be his. The girl of his dreams. The girl he'd been waiting for. What could possibly go wrong? Three-shot.





	1. Arrivederci

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally for the GaaSaku Month 2015 and due to both personal limitations and a muse who hated me, it sat on two chapters for four years. But it's complete now and I'll post one chapter each day to just spread it out. Just because.  
This is a three-shot, light-hearted drama. Kind of. 
> 
> Enjoy! ^_^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally for the GaaSaku Month 2015 and due to both personal limitations and a muse who hated me, it sat on two chapters for four years. But it's complete now and I'll post one chapter each day to just spread it out. Just because.  
This is a three-shot, light-hearted drama. Kind of.
> 
> Enjoy! ^_^

– Chapter 1 –  
.:. Arrivederci .:.

...

There were no more massive kingdoms, not since the end of the war. Borders had blurred beyond recognition and peace time saw many regions breaking off from the ruling caste to create smaller countries now independent from the capital monarchy. These now autonomous nobles were retitling themselves as princes and princesses – and a few titles on par with duchesses and dukes to fill in the smaller territories – and what remained of the now former powerhouse that had been the king's domain was no bigger than the countries that had broken away from it. As a result, they needed to shore up their power in this region before someone got wind that they were still economically in shambles after the war.

That was why she was having trouble breathing.

Panic attack. She was pretty sure she was having one. Right now. Symptoms...what were some of the symptoms? Sweating: check. Trembling: check. Shortness of breath: check. Feeling of dread: check. Chest pain: check. Pins and needles: check.

What else? She felt around her wrist for her pulse; her heart was racing, her breath was coming out ragged and laboured. But the symptoms tend to come on suddenly, without warning and rarely for no obvious reason.

Okay, she was getting married in half an hour – that was an obvious reason. That could be it. Yeah...she was marrying a man she'd never met before (let alone _seen_) so that her father didn't have to relinquish his crown to his siblings or their children.

Sakura let out a shaky breath in an attempt to calm herself. She just had cold feet...yeah, that was it.

All her life it had been drilled into her head that it was her duty, her social _obligation_ to marry some noble, or preferably a prince; to become some trophy wife and let him run her father's kingdom. She was the first born of the Land of Fire monarchy – the "only born" as her people called her – and it was traditional for their kingdom to be run by its king, not a queen. It was disappointing that her father had never managed to have another child after her, even when he did occasionally partake in the palace harem. He was supposed to have a son. All kings had sons.

Except her father, which had left her in a pickle. If he hadn't caught that virile sickness when he'd gone off to war years ago he wouldn't have become lame. He walked with a limp now and his prospective breeding years were over. His responsibilities now passed onto her. But her father knew of her wilfulness. He _knew_ she wasn't a porcelain doll who was looking forward to this. That explained the guards outside the Shinto shrine.

But really, she had cousins – most of which she got along with – and plenty of them were boys. Why couldn't one of _them_ take over the kingdom? Why did her father have to be so stubborn?

She sat and stared out the window of her room for what seemed forever; tugging on her white kimono absent-mindedly Sakura barely noticed when the door to her room eventually opened. The heavily pregnant wife of her best friend always knocked before entering a room so she supposed Hinata had done so several times before just coming in, without her noticing. She was a sweet woman but knew when to be forceful.

"You haven't finished dressing," the raven haired Hyuuga said, sounding reproachful.

"No." She'd gotten the kimono over her body and then just stopped, not wanting to go any further (she'd sent her handmaidens away an hour ago). It was such a heavy garment that she wondered if the dressmaker had designed it for a man rather than a woman – she imagined even Hinata, with her protruding belly, could hide under all this material.

Okay, maybe not.

_'It really _ _ **sucks** _ _ to be a princess.'_

Sakura glanced at the Hyuuga's belly – she'd kept her family name, as all clan members tend to, but not out of dishonour to Naruto's family. It was a Hyuuga tradition. They kept their names and that was that.

"Are you okay?"

"Isn't that supposed to be my line?" Hinata asked genially. She rubbed her belly, smiling lightly. "I'm about ready to get this little guy out of me."

"It's a boy?"

"So the clan medics claim. So the spirits have told me."

The Hyuuga were an incredibly spiritual family. Sakura often found herself envious of how readily they _believed_.

"Must be nice," she said. Sakura stood up and walked over to the curtain; it stood on the east wall of her room and she could see the entire Shinto shrine from here (on the level below her), and the noisy guests that had gathered to witness her sham of a wedding. Perhaps she was just looking aimlessly, but she eventually (and finally) spotted her future husband standing next to the priest, and baulked. She tore her eyes away from the man unable to look at him any longer – he wasn't who she'd hoped for. "I can't do this," she said, feeling those panic attack symptoms come rushing back.

"You're just nervous," Hinata said softly; she had followed the pinkette to the curtain and was now patting her arm tentatively. "I was a nervous wreck in my waiting room." She'd thrown up several times. "I almost–"

Sakura pulled away from her and started pacing. "You married the boy you've loved since we were children. I'm marrying a complete stranger – a _beast_, if you believe the rumours. How am I supposed to go through with this? Father is insane if he..."

As she rambled on Hinata took a deep breath and clasped her hands over her impressive baby bump. They had both been raised to be proper ladies but Hinata had taken to it easier. She didn't think Sakura was some rampant tom boy like some of the nobles believed – she wore dresses, giggled over gossip and had her heart set on marrying for love. She had just been born into the wrong noble family for any of that to matter.

A loud knocking startled Sakura out of her ranting and both women turned toward the door as it opened unceremoniously. Hinata instinctively smiled as her husband came striding in. He immediately reached out to hold her as he grinned at his best friend.

"Ten minutes to show time!" Naruto announced. "Are you nervous, Sakura-chan?"

"Terrified," Sakura said shakily. "This is all happening so fast."

"I know." Naruto moved his other arm to embraced her as well. Sakura was his oldest friend, and he would do almost anything for her. It pained him to see her in so much pain – she couldn't hide it from him. They'd made promises to each other as children (pinky promises, but promises nonetheless) to marry someone they loved. For a short time, that had been each other, but crushes faded and he'd moved on. Sakura however, had not been given that option. She was a princess – the future queen – it wasn't as easy for her to wait for love. But...she _had_ fallen in love. She'd fallen for that Uchiha idiot – the one who was always competing with Naruto over everything. Sasuke...he'd been married off to some prissy bitch from a distant country during the peace talks and that was the final straw for Sakura. She'd given into her father's demands that she finally marry – proprietorially speaking, it was overdue.

"I can't do this," Sakura said, now struggling not to cry.

Hinata elbowed her husband and he moved to embrace his friend completely. "You're Sakura-chan – you can do anything you put your mind to."

She sniffled and shook her head, her face buried in his chest.

"Perhaps there's something we can do," Hinata suggested. "Something that is last minute," she added suggestively to the blonde. She moved toward the door – Naruto had forgotten to close it behind himself – and went to close it. At the last second she stopped and her eyes went wide.

"A wardrobe malfunction," Naruto said, winking at Sakura. "I'll take care of it."

"But my father–"

"He's coming," Hinata said from the door. "He's headed this way!"

"Oh gods," Sakura said, now hyperventilating; she grabbed the sleeve of Naruto's formal kimono. "Please, please, _please_, Naruto; help me."

His heart broke for her. The stubborn little girl who never even begged for candy while growing up was now a grown woman and practically in tears. It was unnerving, and he wasn't quite sure what to do...until something he and Sakura used to do as children came to mind. Naruto's face spread into a wicked grin as the answer was clear as day to him; he knew just what to do. "I know just what you need."

...

"I kept your spot warm for you."

Gaara merely nodded to his older brother as Kankuro moved out of the way and the younger sibling took his rightful place as the groom-to-be; the redhead had been pacing in an adjoining room, nervous as _hell_ for the past hour. He had only just now gathered up the courage to _arrive_; he'd been planning this for years, sacrificed a place in high society back home to be here today. He'd done this all to be with her...the girl of his dreams...

Correction: the _woman_ of his dreams.

The noisy auditorium (the locals called this tiny thing a Shinto shrine) quietened somewhat when he finally made his appearance. It wouldn't be proper to be rowdy in front of their future king after all.

Kankuro started fidgeting as the shrine finally went _appropriately_ quiet – it wouldn't be long now.

Gaara glanced at him. "Why are _you_ nervous? Did you like standing next to the priest," he teased, unable to stop himself (his nerves were jittery, he needed this). "You looked ready to marry someone."

Kankuro scoffed. "_Puh-lease_; like I want to tie myself down..." He drifted off, remembering the lecture their father had given him about still being single. _King_ Rasa was not happy. His oldest son was going to be the next ruler; the king of the Land of Wind. He _had_ to marry. And _soon_.

Gaara let out a nervous chuckle before looking around; he narrowed his eyes as he realised they were missing an important piece on the podium – his future father-in-law. "Where is the king?"

"Kizashi left about a minute before you got here," Kankuro whispered to him. "He didn't look happy. Don't worry," he added, seeing the concern on his baby brother's face at this. "I'm sure it's nothing: I know how long you've worked to make this happen. It'll happen."

Gaara had pulled a lot of strings to get on this podium today; his father had wanted to pass Kankuro over as his heir to have Gaara lead their country instead but that was an unappealing scenario to him. It was Kankuro's right, given that their tradition was as archaic as the country he was about to become a part of, and it was the _male_ offspring who were chosen to rule. As far as Gaara was concerned Temari was the best person to run the Land of Wind, but nobody else seemed to care that she was more than capable. It angered him almost as much as it infuriated her.

His eyes found her in the crowd and she smiled at him; Gaara nodded to her. She looked calmer than Kankuro even. The old man had not pressured her to marry the way he was pushing his sons. Rasa had always been patient with her.

Sighing deeply, Gaara let his eyes now flicker upwards, toward the curtained room overlooking this auditorium – where he knew his bride-to-be was currently being prepared for the ceremony. He had met the pink haired princess years ago (he doubt she remembered him though, since they were children at the time) and become enamoured immediately. Back when King Kizashi had still been trying to produce a male heir Gaara had talked to his father about betrothing him to the girl. He had only recently succeeded – it probably had something to do with the fact that there was still no male heir and having Gaara as king of a neighbouring land would benefit Rasa _greatly_.

A slow euphony began to play and Gaara realised belatedly that it was the wedding song for the Land of Fire. He stood to attention, his nerves falling away as the reality of the situation finally sunk in. She was coming. He was finally going to be with her...

Tradition in this country meant that the bride's face would be hidden to him until it came time for him to kiss her (or was that until they recited their vows?). So when the bride-to-be started walking toward him, her face obscured, her father holding her (barely – his fingers didn't even _look_ like they were on her arm), he had a moment of concern. All the strange, nervous feelings were gone yes...but he didn't feel the connection he'd had all the times he'd seen her – he had practically stalked her a few months ago (that was something he would _never_ admit out loud).

What the hell was going on?

But he schooled his features, thinking it was probably still his nerves.

The bride-to-be was released by her father, the latter stepping away as Gaara held out a hand to his intended. She didn't take it.

The priest started droning on but Gaara was distracted by the clearly nervous bride in front of him – the traditional, open toed high heeled sandals made her taller than he remembered. An hour could've passed for all the attention he gave; the priest indicated for the veil to be lifted and the redhead nodded mechanically, moving forward to do so – he was right the second time; the reveal was _before_ reciting the vows.

_'Holy shit.'_

The crowd gasped.

Gaara growled. That explained his confusion. He glared at his "bride-to-be" furiously.

Red faced and twiddling his thumbs, Naruto grinned sheepishly back at Gaara. "Sorry, but I'm already married."

…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please kudo/subscribe/comment. Lotsa love! :)


	2. All'indomani

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He'd been preparing for this day for years. She was finally going to be his. The girl of his dreams. The girl he'd been waiting for. What could possibly go wrong? Three-shot for GaaSaku Month.

– Chapter 2 –  
.:. All'indomani .:.

...

There was a time in his life when he too had run away from his life and forgot all about his responsibility to his family. It was all he was taught, all he was told to respect, and all he was allowed to cherish. But how can a child whose own father refused to recognise his existence be expected to understand that? For years his own people believed he'd died with his mother when she was giving birth to him; it took Rasa so long to accept him that when it came out publicly that the youngest son of the ruling monarch was still alive the truth dealt a devastating blow to the Land of Wind and the king's sway over his own people.

Gaara understood that need to flee. That desire to escape. But...it never got him anywhere. He was back with the family he'd been born to after all. Back under the microscope and his father's thumb.

"That's my son you're throttling."

Gaara clenched his fists, unclenched his fists, and then sighed deeply.

In the ensuing commotion after Naruto's reveal in the wedding kimono no-one had immediately noticed Temari stalking up to the fake bride-to-be. She was a blur of blonde as she grabbed him roughly by the throat and proceeded to throttle him ferociously. The man who had spoken (a spitting image of the source of Temari's ire) stepped forward and attempted to release her hold on his son.

"What the hell are you doing?" She growled, ignoring the father.

"You're...hurting...me..."

Gaara turned away from their incessant noise and ignored the muttering crowd. If he'd known Sakura was this skittish he wouldn't have dragged her into this like he had. He'd have gone to her before now, introduced himself, shown her he deserved her...

_'As I should have anyway.'_

Why hadn't he? Even though he'd treated this like a transaction on the surface, it really _wasn't_ one to him. He should've approached this as though it wasn't...but he'd been so focused on convincing both his father and King Kizashi (both of whom had been as stubborn as each other) that he'd forgotten the most important part of it all.

_Her_.

He closed his eyes, trying to focus.

Where do you run to when you have nowhere to hide? King Kizashi worked fast and would've sealed the exits by now – the man had left the room the moment Naruto was "revealed" – but there was no telling just how late they were. Even though the bride-to-be was his daughter, he would treat Sakura no different from anyone else in this position. But being the princess and not some low _ranking_ noble, Sakura should know that. She would know her father wasn't going to go easy on her for this. What was she hoping to achieve?

Or perhaps running full-throttle out of the city gates in some desperate attempt to flee her life hadn't actually been her intention after all.

So _where_ had she run to, and what was she planning?

The city had been cornered off for the royal wedding so where _could_ she go? The familiar? The safe? Somewhere nearby or deeper into the bowels of her home?

Once upon a time a little girl had told him how easy it was to disappear in the town that the castle shadowed. There were interconnecting streets, alleyways that ducked, weaved and straddled the main streets, and shortcuts that were not on any imperial map. But if you were really looking to avoid the troops, the guards and anyone of higher repute that may be hunting you, the place to go was the lower town.

But would she go there now? There was only one person he was sure might know.

Gaara turned back to the commotion erupting around him; Temari still hadn't released Naruto and Kankuro was now trying to help her shake some sort of explanation out of the _baka_.

"Kankuro, Temari," he said; his voice carried and they paused in their torment of the idiot momentarily. "Let him go."

"But–"

"Just do it Kankuro," Temari said quickly, releasing her hold on Naruto and glancing warily at her youngest brother. The idiot in front of her slumped but didn't fall to the ground.

Naruto straightened himself, jostled slightly as he tried to regain some form of dignity. He frowned at Gaara. "Have we met before?"

Without answering, or looking at him, Gaara said, "come with me" and then started walking away from him. Naruto took one look at Temari's expression (one that promised pain if he didn't obey) and scrambled after the redhead. Right now, he was the saner one.

_'And I need this over with,'_ Naruto thought. He'd made plans to meet up with Sakura as soon as he could get away from here (Hinata had insisted on helping, but he wouldn't involve her in this; she already had enough stress on her right now).

Naruto followed Gaara into a side room and closed the door, grateful for the privacy but worried how he was going to slip out now. Immediately, Gaara turned on him.

"Where is she?"

"Not here," Naruto answered automatically. It might not have been smart to piss off someone with Gaara's notorious temper, but eh, whatever.

Gaara didn't explode in his face though. He just narrowed his eyes.

Naruto waved his hand about, scoffing. "You're the one she's running from, remember?"

"I am aware."

"Well, they _say_ you're smart. I know what you're going to say," he said, holding a hand up to stop Gaara from interrupting. "But Sakura-chan's my best friend. If you just want her so you can be king, then nothing short of banning ramen from the kingdom will make me tell you where she went."

And not even that, but really...it was the only thing he could think of that Gaara would be _legally_ allowed to do to him if he didn't tell him anything. He wouldn't trade Sakura's freedom for all the ramen in the Land of Fire...but it wouldn't end pretty if Gaara _tried_. Besides, it was also an out; if Gaara was just another power hungry suitor for Sakura, then threatening to cut off his supply to ramen would be the next thing out of his mouth. Well, he guessed; bantering or whatever this was, wasn't really his _thing_.

_'Why am I even giving him a chance?'_

There was just something so..._familiar_ about him.

Naruto studied him; from the blazing hair to the teal eyes...and then it occurred to him.

"We really _have_ met, haven't we?"

Gaara nodded. "Once, as children."

"Yes...I think so." But he didn't have a strong memory of it. "Did you know Sakura-chan back then too?" Another nod. Hmm. Maybe...Naruto grinned. "Do you actually _like_ her, Gaara?"

Gaara ground his teeth. "_Lord_ Gaara," he said, correcting him.

The blonde giggled maniacally. "You _do_!"

There were many things in this world Gaara could and would tolerate right now, but a giggling idiot was not one of them. He needed to find Sakura, and quickly. Who knows how long it had been since Naruto had put on that kimono?

He wondered briefly how the idiot blonde had fooled the king, then mentally shook himself.

He did what he had to do. He grabbed Naruto roughly by the collar (or whatever it was called – he was still wearing the wedding kimono, and the damn thing was so complex he didn't know what most of it was called) and throttled him much like Temari (and then Temari _and_ Kankuro) had done, but without trying to cut off his air supply.

"I'll ask this again; where did she go?"

Naruto seemed unfazed by the violent attack on his person this time. He frowned, serious now. "If this is just a ploy to hurt Sakura-chan for embarrassing you, I swear I'll–"

"What?" Gaara snapped, interrupting him. "Strangle me with your _garter_?"

Naruto fell silent, glaring at him.

Okay, so this wasn't helping.

Gaara sighed, releasing the idiot, and crossed his arms over his chest, attempting to calm down.

"You higher nobles aren't good at admitting your feelings, are you?"

"What?"

Naruto smiled at him. "Hinata had feelings for me since childhood too. It took a while for her to come out and say it though; but she was just shy." He winked at his companion. "You're not shy, are you _Lord_ Gaara?"

Gaara growled. "Just answer the question."

Naruto rubbed his chin, pretending to mull it over and then his smile widened and he was quickly grinning from ear to ear like a damn Cheshire cat. "Okay you have a deal; I'll show you and only you," he said. "But if you hurt Sakura-chan, I'll be the one digging the hole she buries you in."

That was more like it.

"Fine; we should leave before anyone notices we're missing."

Naruto sighed, pulling absent-mindedly on the sleeve of Sakura's wedding kimono. He needed to change first; but either way, she was going to _kill_ him.

...

Oh gods. Oh gods. Oh _gods_...her father was going to _kill_ her!

He already didn't trust her to do this, her duty; and he was right. Brides of lower-class nobles have been known to run from their weddings. Even grooms. But NEVER in recorded history had one been from the royal family. Her father was going to _eviscerate_ her!

The reputation of their family, the alliance with neighbouring lands...she'd just shattered them both in one fell swoop. And for what? She wasn't even in love with some peasant man like in all those fairy tales, or even the prince of a non-allied nation. She was just selfish.

_'No, no. No, no. No, no. No, no. No, no!'_

She had to stop thinking that way. She just needed enough time for that foreign person her father had arranged for her (a prince she was told – but who cared?) to give up and go home, then _she'd_ go home. This was Naruto's idea; for him to distract the guests and her intended while she disappeared into the crowd gathered outside the Shinto Shrine and made her way to the palace stables. The people were waiting to see her emerge from the shrine, on the arm of their new king. Even the guards were watching the door with uncharacteristic interest. And it wasn't going to happen.

Sakura swallowed the bile rising in her throat and kept moving. She just needed to keep moving.

Having switched clothing with Naruto and covering her tell-tale pink hair with his twill made hooded cloak Sakura could now easily pass as a boy (and given she wasn't buxom; never had been). Nobody gave her a second glance as she walked in the opposite direction of the shrine. She moved in to the interconnecting streets, ducking into an alleyway she hadn't needed to use in months; the lower town had all the best shortcuts. But only she and Naruto knew about the lower town entrance into the palace byways.

Easy.

She pulled the hood of Naruto's cloak further over her head self-consciously as she approached the stables; one of stable boys passed her granting her the merest glance, his gait not even faltering. He was a friend of Naruto's but she wasn't taking any chances. That irrepressible blonde made friends with everyone; people seemed to flock to him. She often joked that he could befriend a dung beetle and come out smelling like roses.

So...he had friends amongst the stable boys as well as the maids, kitchen staff (because he was never _not_ hungry), the tower guards, the regular and elite infantries, and even Sakura's snobbiest cousins.

She smiled. He was so easy to like.

Sakura waited for ten minutes before she started to feel worried. Another ten minutes and she was considering heading back. Surely no-one at the Shinto Shrine would do anything to Naruto? She started pacing, torn.

The sound of her exuberant friend's voice drew her attention and she sighed, relieved as the blonde approached, not immediately noticing the person walking behind him. "Oh, Naruto!" She said, waving to him. "There you are. I was starting to think someone had killed you; especially that royal _prick_. We've gotta get out of here before anyone finds me."

"Uh..." Naruto stopped uncertainly, three feet from her.

"Who's this?" She asked, finally noticing he hadn't come alone.

Naruto smirked at her. "That royal _prick_."

Sakura took a moment to register that. He'd brought..._him_? Then she got a good look at him; from the blazing hair to the teal eyes...he wasn't the guy she'd seen in the shrine. He was gorgeous...

She fought her blush. Damn idiotic hormones. _Why_ did attractive guys do this to her?

But...there was something else about this guy (apart from the weird way he was looking at her). And then she realised. "I know you."

"Uh-huh." Naruto nodded. "Uh..." He frowned at them. "I'll leave you two alone."

Sakura stared at the redhead as her friend left; there was no tension in her body, no discomfort, no embarrassment...anymore. There was a connection between them. Locking eyes in fairy tales always led to declarations of love and such but Sakura had seen him before. He wasn't a stranger. And his reputation would have her believe he would never say "I love you", not even to his reflection.

"Do I really know you?" She asked.

Gaara nodded. That connection he'd always felt when he saw her (the stalker that he was), and that was absent during Naruto's imminently infamous walk down the aisle; he felt it now. It always gave him the urge to reach out and touch her. Steadily, he walked up to her. She didn't back down, seemingly transfixed.

"I pulled a lot of strings to get you down that aisle," he whispered, smirking slightly when her eyes widened. "Not because you're the crowned princess; not even because you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen..."

Sakura felt her face warm. "Because?"

"Because I want you."

Huh? It was as simple as that? He wanted her?

Sakura didn't react as his fingers brushed the side of her face, transfixed by the darkened expression on his face, the _desire_ in his pale eyes.

"Do you understand?"

Oh yes, she got it. But he clearly didn't. He was gorgeous. He was sincere. He was...well, _hot_. But she had just embarrassed him, her father and her country. She wasn't going to regret that for some one-liner. She had to _know_ he was everything he was hinting at.

"If you want to marry me for me," she said, pushing his hand away from her and taking a deep breath. "Then _prove it_."

…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please kudo/subscribe/comment. Lotsa love! :)


	3. Assentarsi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He'd been preparing for this day for years. She was finally going to be his. The girl of his dreams. The girl he'd been waiting for. What could possibly go wrong? Three-shot for GaaSaku Month.

– Chapter 3 –  
.:. Assentarsi .:.

...

_"Happy Ending? There are no happy endings. Endings are the saddest part. So just give me a happy middle and a very happy start." – Shel Silverstein_

.

"If you want to marry me for me," she said, pushing his hand away from her and taking a deep breath. "Then _prove it_."

.

Like it was something simple. Something everyone did every day and things were rosey, and they lived happily ever after. Like he even knew what she meant.

Prove it? Since when did uncontrollable feelings come with incredible feats of impossibilities?

_Prove_ it. Like it was as easy as that.

How about the fact that he'd run to the ends of the earth to find her, the fact that he was here, standing next to her, talking to her and the fact that he was here alone and without a small army to drag her back into the Shinto Shrine? It was uncouth for a Lord to run after a wily woman, after all.

Gaara sighed.

Right, like that would go over well. His father would never let him hear the end of it.

It wasn't as simple as saying "I don't want your crown, only your heart". She hadn't given him the benefit of the doubt so far, so what could he possibly say now to sway her?

He didn't get it. He really didn't understand. _How_ was he supposed to do that?

Like jumping onto the nearest roof and screaming it to the world was becoming of his status. It wasn't _manly_, that's for sure. And it would be so out of character. What kind of romantic notions was she expecting?

Gaara started as Sakura shifted uncomfortably. Apparently, he had taken too long to respond.

"I see," she said softly. "If you can't do this… I'm sorry."

She left. He stood in stubborn shock as the woman he'd planned so much around to marry slipped between the stable gates, pulling the hood of her cloak down to further disguise her pink hair, and disappeared around the corner – presumably into the interconnecting streets outside the palace.

'_What the hell am I doing?'_

Gaara shook himself, regaining his composure. There was something he could say – something he'd said to her a long time ago. It was the only thing that would show he didn't want her money or crown _and_ fall in line with her manner.

'_I'm such an idiot.'_

Gaara pulled his high-collared coat tighter around his body, hoping to stave off the cold that was creeping through the stables. There was only one thing to say. But first he had to find her; he assumed she knew her way around these parts better than him. Sakura hadn't taken a horse, so the redhead followed her path, slipping through the stable gates and descending into the streets.

He looked around; this section of the city was busy, but this particular road had been cornered off because of the Royal Mews. It's path split two ways – to the upper streets and the lower. He guessed Sakura would take the lower.

Hastening his steps toward the stench of the alleyways that high windowed residents tossed their waste from, Gaara glanced around at every plausible turn off as he made his way through the series of twists and turns, choosing the less public route over the obvious, loud street ways.

'_Hopefully, this pays off.'_

He had not seen Sakura for years, but he knew what desperate people did to avoid attention. He'd spent his life attempting to disappear, and his childhood hiding.

"Watch out."

Gaara side-stepped a local who was laying in the middle of the street and a thought occurred to him.

He needed directions.

He stopped and towered over the boy, who looked to be about fourteen. "I'm looking for a young woman."

The street urchin gave him a once over. "This be the wrong dark alley for that kind of thing, mister."

"She might've passed through here in the last few minutes," Gaara urged, "wearing a hooded cloak. You probably thought it was a scrawny man."

"Uh-huh."

Realising why the imp of a boy was looking at him expectantly, Gaara cursed his bad luck – he had no money on him. He resisted the urge to pat himself down, or better yet; throttle the smug brat looking up at him like he was an idiot.

'_Damn.'_

There was nothing for it. He pulled a ring off of his right index finger and held it out to him; the boy scrambled to his feet and peered at it. Ruby encrusted, it was smaller than most gems of its type because the redhead was never one for baubles to begin with – Kankuro had talked him into wearing it just for the day. His brother had won it from an aristocrat who peddled in unwilling labour. The ring would be no loss.

"It's real," Gaara said. "Worth more than what you own combined."

The redhead held it out of arm's reach as the urchin tried to snatch it from his hands. "_If_ you've seen who I'm looking for, and _if_ you're not trying to swindle me. I'll find you, if you are."

The boy made an obnoxious sound at the back of his throat, but nodded in agreement to his demands. "Yeah, I know the bird you're after. Comes down here sometimes, thinks I don't see her pink hair and high shoes."

Gaara got more specific directions and tossed the ring at the boy. "Buy yourself etiquette lessons. And a bath tub," he added, wrinkling his nose.

He made his way through the maze, murmuring the directions as he went.

Sakura was all he'd thought of for so long. She didn't know his heart. She couldn't. Not yetBut she would, soon. It didn't need to be complicated and drawn out. It didn't need to torment him or humiliate him. He just wanted her. Not her kingdom. If he could just convince her of that, surely the rest would fall into place?

Gaara thought back to when they'd first met. He remembered their conversation and just _how_ that day had changed his day forever. He heard their small, childlike voices in his head like it had happened yesterday; the answer to his problems was staring him in the face all along.

A few more minutes of navigating brought Gaara into an open area; a marketplace.

'_Where is she?'_

Taking point from his other venture, Gaara spoke with a few vendors, relinquishing several other knickknacks in return for information on the scrawny man who'd happened by. Feeling confident, he left the marketplace, heading north; he was getting a sinking feeling where Sakura was going. The girl knew how to move quickly through these lower areas.

It wasn't long before the personal Shinto Shrine of the royal family loomed in front of him once more. The daughter of the king had doubled back to the stables, perhaps cautiously hoping he would no longer be there so she could take the steed she'd been intending on using to escape the city. If that was indeed her plan. The guards were searching high and low for her, and a horse galloping toward the main gates would be a dead give away.

There had to be something else afoot in that brilliant mind of hers.

"Sakura!"

Gaara veered toward the stables at the sound of Naruto's voice. She wasn't getting away this time.

He broke into a run to cover the distance, terrified that he was already too late. There was no sound of hooves beating against the ground, nor the silence that would come with her choosing to escape through more nefariously stealthy means. As he entered the stables, Gaara slowed, trying to catch his breath – the blood was pounding in his ears. He'd never been more frustrated and nervous at the same time.

Two figures were huddled just inside the mews, whispering harshly at each other. Breathing a sigh of relief, the redhead marched toward them.

"Are you sure? I mean–"

"Leave us."

Both of the figures in the corner jumped at Gaara's command. They knew immediately who he was talking to.

"Wait a minute," Naruto said, stepping protectively in front of the pinkette. "You had your chance." He waggled a finger in Gaara's face. "And might I remind you of a certain promise to dig your grave for-_hey_!"

The blond grumbled as the redhead pushed him out of the way.

Gaara ignored the frown on Sakura's face as he reached up and tucked a lock of hair that had fallen out of her hood back into hiding. She blushed furiously at this, forgetting that Naruto was staring at them now, happily quietened down at this turn of events.

Gaara stood directly in front of her; not so far away that she could ignore the intense look on his face and not so close to make her uncomfortable with his forwardness. Four words were all he needed to show he was serious about her.

"Run away with me."

Her eyes widened at his proclamation. There was no way to prove it, but Gaara was positive that Sakura too, was remembering that day so long ago.

.

_The selfish Princess. The crazy Princess. The childish Princess. That's what they called her. The only child of King Kizashi had earned her reputation for being a spoiled, vain, and demanding child. When she wasn't being intolerably too shy for her station, she was busy being a nuisance for her attendant._

_She was busy hiding from her responsibilities._

_The king of a foreign land had arrived to see her and she wasn't having any of that. No way she wanted to meet some old man who smelled like her grandfather._

_The palace gardens were temperate; a cool breeze easily offsetting the hot season. And it was easily her favourite place when the adults were being boring. She shuffled in as quietly as her little feet would carry her, checking for the guards as well as listening to the booming voice of her attendant as the scary woman searched for her._

_She ducked behind a statue next to a hedge and bushes, waiting for the imminent danger of being found to pass._

"_Hello?"_

_Sakura turned her head around to find a little boy staring at her from within the bushes themselves. She giggled at the spiky red hair that stood out among the green of the garden shrubbery._

"_What are you doing, silly?"_

_The boy shook his head, not responding._

"_Well, it's not a very good hiding spot," she told him. "I can still see you."_

"_I see you too."_

_She smiled. "I suppose mine isn't that good either."_

_She knelt down, crawling into the hedges, ignoring the sharp edges of the foliage. The boy followed her with his eyes as she squeezed between the shrubbery and wall; it was cool and comforting in here. She could stay here forever._

_Sakura finally looked up at the boy. He was her age she thought, which was six; maybe a year older than her. His face was no longer squished in the hedges as he followed her example, moving to the ground to better stay out of sight of the hub-bub her disappearance had caused._

_They could still hear the voices calling for her and rush of feet in the distance. This hiding place was perfect._

"_This is nice," she said. Sakura held out her hand. "I'm Sakura."_

"_I know," he said softly, then cleared his throat, taking her hand and kissing it like his tutor had taught him._

_She giggled._

"_I'm Gaara," he said, dropping her hand._

_She looked him over. He looked like a prince. He sounded like a prince. He even wore an emblem – from what country she couldn't tell. She was falling behind in her lessons and didn't really care for all that boring talk._

_But all this must mean he was with that boring king! She wondered why he was hiding out._

"_My father is going to kill me," he said sadly._

"_Why?"_

_He hesitated a moment before rambling about his life. His mother was dead, his father hated him, his siblings barely tolerated him. There was a painful sadness in his voice as he spoke and Sakura felt compelled to hug him._

_He stiffened in her grip but she didn't let go._

"_I'm hiding from them too," she whispered. "Your father wants to see me but I'd rather be here with you."_

"_You're the princess," he whispered back. "Why do you need to hide?"_

"_Because, silly. I don't want to be near him either."_

_Gaara grasped at her like a lifeline. "Then run away."_

"_W-what?"_

_He was blushing, hiding his face in the crook of her neck and trying not to fidget. "R-run away with me!"_

_Sakura giggled. "Okay."_

"_There you are!"_

_They both started, their hiding place found as two people hovered over them._

"_Ma, I don't want to leave!" Sakura yelled as she was manhandled out from behind the hedges. Gaara was climbing out without incident, his own Retainer waiting patiently for him to do as he was told._

"_My lady, that's enough! You will come back in and change, and meet with the king who has come all this way to see you." The overbearing woman glanced back at Gaara with a scathing look on her face. "And you will forget you ever met __**him**__."_

_Sakura pushed at her, in vain. "Don't be mean to him! He's a prince."_

_"No child, he isn't."_

_"Then why is he allowed in these walls?"_

_"That's not your concern princess; now come on."_

"_But what…"_

_Her attendant snatched Sakura's hand in hers. "Little princesses shouldn't ask questions."_

"_But…"_

"_Sakura!"_

_Sakura cringed at the tone in the older woman's voice._

_She looked back at the forlorn boy. He _ _looked_ _ like a prince. He had to be one, right?_

"_Gaara?" She asked, worriedly shuffling her feet toward him even as her attendant attempted to keep her from the boy. The boy that apparently the adults in the area were trying very hard to pretend wasn't there._

"_I'll come back for you," he promised, and she nodded in agreement before letting herself be dragged away._

...

"Run away with me."

The intensity of his voice knocked her about and Sakura clasped at her chest, feeling her heart beat race through the thin material of her hooded coat. The little boy had made a promise to her, but she'd long since forgotten; now that memory stood out in bright colours, tormenting her with the possible future.

She could take Gaara up on his expectations and run away. She could give him that chance and hope that he had good intentions. Or she could signal to Naruto, who was looking between them curiously, to knock the redhead unconscious so she could make her escape.

'_Escape to where?'_

Her original plan had been to flee long enough for the invading prince to give up and go back to his country, writing her off as some spoiled princess who wasn't worth all this trouble – even if it took months. But Gaara had waited for her for years, remembering that promise made to an equally lonely and troublesome child. And if what he'd said to her earlier could be believed, he'd pulled strings to get her down the aisle; what was he giving up back home to trek all the way here? What did he expect, other than her hand, from this proposed matrimony?

"Sakura–"

"I'm thinking," she snapped.

"I'm not moving from here until you answer me."

He said it so casually, like he was asking for directions, or commenting on the weather. He might as well be mentioning how the rains had yet to come and that the unusual heat sweeping into her country from his sandy home were signs that this merger was inevitable.

If he were emotionless.

But, his voice also carried an underlying tone of finality to it. He was confident she'd say 'yes' and this wasn't a question, but he wasn't ordering her either. This was Gaara's way of proving he didn't want her for her throne. Her father would kill them both if they ran now.

Sakura wished she could say she wasn't that selfish little girl anymore. That she wouldn't run off and leave her father in a predicament with the line of succession. She had only done a runner on her wedding day as a stopgap, after all. But the whole thing tasted like a lie. She hadn't grown up. She hadn't changed. She was still that idiot child.

Sakura seriously considered just packing it in and taking off; and if she ran away with Gaara, would that make them lovers? Star crossed lovers who would be on the run from their respective countries. She would be ruining her life and dragging Gaara along for the ride. She remembered how he'd spoken about his father back when they were children – how scared he'd been of the king of the Land of Wind. Gaara was a man now, but was he braver now? Could he go behind his father's back? _Would_ he, really? And was she so selfish as to expect him to?

Running away with her would show her that he would choose her over making a show of things for their fathers. It would mean he may never get the crown.

But it would ignite the ire of a man not above murdering his own blood.

Sakura held her hand flat against his chest, looking up at his expectant face. "No."

She watched the emotions on his face; the surprise, disappointment, and fear. Did she really affect him that heavily?

Sakura lowered her hand to take his. The confusion on his face brought a smile to hers.

"We don't need to run away."

Three feet away, Naruto grinned at his friend, realising what she meant. "I'll fetch the Shinto priest!" He hollered, excitedly.

"Wait, Naruto!"

Gaara tensed as Sakura called after the eager blond. Was she changing her mind?

"We need two witnesses," she said, and the redhead relaxed.

"No worries, Sakura-chan!"

The pinkette watched him go, feeling lighter than air; she guessed Hinata was going to be that second. She smiled at Gaara, who was clinging to her hand like his life depended on it.

She felt embarrassed all of a sudden. "Let's get married, shall we?"

"On one condition," Gaara said. She raised her eyebrows at him questioningly. He smiled, cupping her face with one hand. "No veil this time."

Sakura smiled and nodded. "Agreed."

Perhaps it was time to start a new tradition.

She decided to break one more tradition and pulled his face down to press her lips to his gently.

There was no such thing as a happy ending, but she would be damned if she ran away from this chance for a better future, again.

…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope that ending satisfied. It was strange writing this after so long (took me four years). Cheers. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Please kudo/subscribe/comment. Lotsa love! :)


End file.
